The green trend: secure permits first, DENR says

While frontliners are busy in their fight to contain the pandemic caused by COVID-19, the public are also busy making their unused spaces as an extra yet creative green spot in their homes and gardens.

Gardening had become one of the major activities of many gardening enthusiasts during this pandemic.

For almost nine months of strict community quarantine, people exercised their green hands which had become useful, not only in nurturing the aesthetics of the environment, but also in improving the oxygen level.

Aside from gardening, Facebook was also flooded with many array of food from desserts to main dishes.

Suddenly, we have a good number of people becoming cooks, baker and the most unusual term of the decade, “plantitos” and “plantitas”. They are those who loved to collect plants of all sorts, which paved the way to another chain interaction – bartering.

Bartering or exchange of unused/pre loved item to another had become a trend in most of the bartering sites in the social media without money involved, and the ornamental plants and flowers are included to those.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 6 is reminding the public to be aware of the procedures and restrictions set under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

RA 9147 mandates the regulation of the collection and trade of wildlife; with due regard to the national interest, the Philippine commitment to international conventions, protection of wildlife and their habitats; and, to initiate or support scientific studies on the conservation of biological diversity.

The DENR issued Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2017-11 which prohibited the “collection and trade of threatened species unless such acts are covered under a permit issued by the DENR and the species found in areas under a valid tenure instrument or a parcel of land covered by a title under the Torrens System.”

Violators of RA 9147 can face imprisonment from six to 12 years and a fine of PHP100,000 to Php1 million on the wild plants collected that are classified as “critically endangered.”

Included in the list of critically endangered species are the following: ‘Badiang’ or Giant Taro, Giant staghorn fern, Waling-waling, Coral plant, Pitcher plant and many more, while endangered species include Aerides Lawrencease, Rafflesia speciosa, and threatened species include green velvet Alocasia, Kris plants, and Alocasia zebrina.

Badiang and the other mentioned plants have been very famous in social media sites after  celebrities posted their individual decorated plants in their houses. It became an instant favorite in bartering sites which is famous now in our region.

“I know all of our faunas are beautiful, but understand that these wild faunas should stay in the wild. Everything in our forests is for our eyes only. That would be more beautiful,” DENR 6 regional executive director Francisco E. Milla, Jr. reminds us.

Milla also advised the “plantitos” and “plantitas” to secure permit from the DENR first before collecting or bartering the threatened plants. Milla also instructed the Enforcement Division and its field offices to further strengthen the surveillance and monitoring of illegal collection of endangered flora and fauna.

The need to protect and conserve our flora and fauna is being pursued as it is one of the ten priority programs of DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu under the Enhanced Biodiversity program. (DENR-6)